Boisterous and completely relatable, Sam Morris is an online influencer making a big splash in the lifestyle and fashion communities. With more than 40K Instagram followers, Sam Morris has grown his online influence rapidly and boasts a massively loyal fan-base in both the US and the UK.
Without further ado, here’s Sam Morris on being real, being nude, and being just a little bit mad…
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Introducing… Lifestyle Influencer Sam Morris
WAM: Hi Sam! Thanks for making time to chat; it’s great to talk to you.
Sam: Hey! No worries, I’m more than happy to be here.
WAM: So, where do we start?! I guess the obvious question is how did you become an influencer?
Sam: So I’m really into my music, so it probably started there. I was in a band for a while, then I left and starting doing my own thing. I started plugging into social media a bit more because it was a great place to promote my music, and things kind of took off.
I started doing a few magazine spreads and interviews and that put me on the radar a bit more, and I started to get quite a few Instagram followers.
Then I was going through a bit of a hard time personally and started using Instagram as this real living diary and that’s when it exploded.
WAM: Why do you think that was?
Sam: Because it was so authentic. I wasn’t fake at all – it was completely me and my story, with no smoke and mirrors. I was sharing my life, and people were drawn to that.
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I wasn’t fake at all – it was completely me and my story, with no smoke and mirrors. I was sharing my life, and people were drawn to that
I didn’t stop doing the music side either. It’s about everything to do with my life, and music is a big part of that. I play the ukulele so I was posting about that and sharing tips too.
WAM: And when did you start actively making money from being an Instagram influencer?
Sam: Last summer I decided to go to the US for two months, for the first time. While I was there, I was approached by about 30 fashion photographers and we started creating this really clear visual journey for people to follow. My Instagram took off, and I got 15K followers practically overnight.
WAM: What type of brands do you model?
Sam: The first brand I worked with was The Gents Pack, who started sending me free underwear to model, as well as cosmetics. If you’ve looked at my Instagram you’ll see there are a lot of nudes – so underwear was an obvious place to start! I work with a lot of top brands now, in a range of different industries. Most recently I was invited to Lush for a spa day in Oxford street and got loads of free products, which was awesome. I absolutely love Lush!
WAM: There’s obviously quite a big range there. How do you decide which types of brands you work with?
Sam: The whole ethos of my brand is to be completely real and authentic, so I only work with brands that I connect to and that are relevant to me. People follow you for your story, for who you are as a person, so it’s really important never to compromise on that.
There’s a definitely a wide range, because it’s all about lifestyle rather than just one thing or another. I only represent things I believe in, but it could be anything I like and use. It’s all about making relatable choices, I think.
WAM: I can tell authenticity is really important to you. What drives you to do all of this?
Sam: I’ve always been a hard worker and I’ve always been a hustler, and social media is an outlet for that. I’ve always been super creative too, but I’ve found it difficult because I’ve not had that many opportunities. Nothing has been given to me on a plate, and social media let me take life into my own hands. I didn’t want to wait around – I wanted to make it happen for myself.
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Nothing has been given to me on a plate, and social media let me take life into my own hands. I didn’t want to wait around – I wanted to make it happen for myself
Also it’s really important to me to be a role model; to be someone relatable that other people can look up to and think, ‘oh yeah, I can do that too. I can take life into my own hands too’. Especially within the LGBT community, I’ve found a lot of young gay guys messaging me and saying, you know, ‘you’re so real, and you gave me confidence to be who I wanted to be’ or whatever – that’s what I find really fulfilling.
WAM: That’s one of the big reasons we’re such advocates of social media… it gives you a chance to take control of your own career.
Sam: I know! Like, I’m only 5’8. I shouldn’t be a model! But I am, and that’s because social media is so powerful now. You can carve a career for yourself by building your following; it’s such a powerful option for people.
Social media has helped me massively, not just building my career but personally, you know? Your followers get to know you and these fans feel like friends. They send you messages; support you when you’re down. I feel like I have this huge network of friends all over the world that have got my back. It’s a real community.
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I’m only 5’8. I shouldn’t be a model! But I am, and that’s because social media is so powerful now. You can carve a career for yourself by building your following; it’s such a powerful option for people
WAM: So what should brands expect from working with you?
Sam: Well, it’s that authentic community really. Like, what brands really have that, in this completely authentic and real way? For brands, when I advocate for a brand or a product, my followers know I really mean it and they want to try out that product too, you know? It’s really powerful, and I can understand why brands are so desperate to tap into that!
WAM: Where’s your main audience?
Sam: My main audience in split between the UK and US, but I’ve got more of a following in US. When I was in New York and L.A I was literally stopped on the street a good few times, which was completely surreal.
WAM: That must be so strange! And what are your aspirations, Sam?
Sam: I just want to continue building my brand. It would be great to end up presenting my own thing one day, and to release an album. It’s all about having the power and the influence to make decisions for yourself. Christmas last year I raised money for Centrepoint charity in London through selling prints of selfies to my Instagram followers, and I love that I can use my influence to help people like that too.
I just want to keep working with amazing brands, and to keep growing, and keep promoting the things I love.
WAM: And what tips would you share with other models hoping to build their online influence?
Sam: Less is more – which also means clothing! Haha! No, I’m joking. Sort of. I guess the most important thing is to be completely yourself. People nowadays can see through the BS – people who are real are the ones who build a following. People want you to be yourself; they respect it.
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You are your brand – and building your brand is literally the most powerful thing you can do within the entertainment industry
You are your brand – and building your brand is literally the most powerful thing you can do within the entertainment industry. Know who you are, and share it. Like, I’m laid bare. I mean, obviously in lots of shots I’m literally naked but it’s more than I’m 100% honest about who I am.
WAM: Sam, you’ve been amazing. Thank you so much.
Sam: You’re welcome. Catch you later!
You can join Sam’s >40k followers on Instagram HERE and find him on YouTube HERE to share his real, totally relatable, journey. For brand partnership opportunities please enquire through We Are Models. Keen to become an online influencer yourself? Check out our Premier package here, designed to help you grow your footprint and turn your social following into a lucrative income.
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